title: Brain iron homeostasis: from molecular mechanisms to clinical significance and therapeutic opportunities.
abstract: Iron has emerged as a significant cause of neurotoxicity in several neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), and others. In some cases, the underlying cause of iron mis-metabolism is known, while in others, our understanding is, at best, incomplete. Recent evidence implicating key proteins involved in the pathogenesis of AD, PD, and sCJD in cellular iron metabolism suggests that imbalance of brain iron homeostasis associated with these disorders is a direct consequence of disease pathogenesis. A complete understanding of the molecular events leading to this phenotype is lacking partly because of the complex regulation of iron homeostasis within the brain. Since systemic organs and the brain share several iron regulatory mechanisms and iron-modulating proteins, dysfunction of a specific pathway or selective absence of iron-modulating protein(s) in systemic organs has provided important insights into the maintenance of iron homeostasis within the brain. Here, we review recent information on the regulation of iron uptake and utilization in systemic organs and within the complex environment of the brain, with particular emphasis on the underlying mechanisms leading to brain iron mis-metabolism in specific neurodegenerative conditions. Mouse models that have been instrumental in understanding systemic and brain disorders associated with iron mis-metabolism are also described, followed by current therapeutic strategies which are aimed at restoring brain iron homeostasis in different neurodegenerative conditions. We conclude by highlighting important gaps in our understanding of brain iron metabolism and mis-metabolism, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Neena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haldar
authors.forename: Ajai K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horback
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beserra
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: Charumathi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anbalagan
authors.forename: Som
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dev
authors.forename: Chinmay K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron